There is one big difference between todays pilots and yesterdays and that is HORSEPOWER. Todays pilots in many cases have enough horsepower to get themselves out of trouble. In the old days, when they did not have that advantage, they had to know how NOT to get in trouble in the first place.
Years ago when I was dispatching, we would put 15 loads on the TRADEWINDS which was only 1400 hp. Today they put those same 15 loads (a lock can only hold 15 barges plus the boat) on a boat with 5,000 hp. Which would you rather take through the Louisville harbor with 16 ft. on the upper guage and the dam all out?
I'm not deminishing the talent of todays pilots by any means, I know many I would put up against the best of the old timers. I'm just saying that the pilots of yesterday really had it a lot harder.